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Trump and Kelly’s Complicated Relationship

If you have followed this election cycle, you will surely remember the first Republican debate. Hosted by Fox News, Megyn Kelly started the debate with a pointed question to Trump about his rumored treatment of women. From this moment, there has been some serious effects.

The first effect was the picture Kelly painted of Trump. As a woman, she insisted this question was fair game, but Trump fans saw this as a deliberate attack against their candidate. They saw it as Fox News’ desire to take down Trump, and give the other candidates on stage an early advantage. Trump seconded their opinion, and from this question, started his fight with the media. Those who oppose Trump saw his subsequent comments about Kelly as concrete proof that this man is a sexist and should not be elected president. Those who support Trump saw this as an example of a crooked system that refuses to listen to the American people. They saw Fox News and the Republican Party elite as intertwined and corrupt. Trump called Kelly a bimbo, and boycotted the next debate that she was at, right before the Iowa Caucus. Kelly took a vacation after, and Trump supporters saw this as evidence Trump had won. Kelly, on the other hand, graced the cover of Vanity Fair; and was praised as a resilient journalist.

We know that Kelly and Trump met weeks ago, and it is clear that they mended their relationship. And now tonight, Kelly will interview Trump for an hour straight.

What can we expect from this interview? A lot of talk about women. This interview could not be better times for Trump, as Kelly was the first to call out his treatment of women, and then this week the New York Times published a scathing article with many quote from Trump’s “victims.” As Clinton would be our first woman president, these allegations are a perfect platform for her to take down Trump, and the New York Times tried to help. But by Monday afternoon, a former Trump girlfriend had already made her rounds on the media circuit with nothing but praise for the Republican candidate. Trump used this as further proof that the media is out to get him and biased, trying desperately to paint a negative picture of him which is out of touch with reality.

And now, despite Trump’s comments that he already has said using social media, he will have the chance to paint a new picture of himself with the woman that started it all. We know that Kelly will be just as tough with him as she was in August, and if Trump has nothing to hide he has nothing to fear. Agreeing to do the interview in this first place shows that he is confident with its outcome, and will use it as a chance to show all those who say he is a sexist that these are just rumors.

Trump has continued to surprise everyone this election cycle, and for this reason, we can expect to also be surprised tonight. The Republican candidate wants the White House, and knows to do this he has to show Clinton as the one who has hurt women, not him. Tonight might be his first chance.